Kobe Bryant takes injections, issues nasty shots

Published 4:00 am, Sunday, January 15, 2012

Photo: Stephen Dunn, Getty Images

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 13: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers smiles as he protests a call to a referee during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Staples Center on January 13, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. The lakers won 97-92. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) less

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 13: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers smiles as he protests a call to a referee during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Staples Center on January 13, 2012 in Los ... more

I've heard doctors say you don't want to get more than two or three cortisone shots in one area of the body within a narrow time frame; just one is plenty. Word out of Los Angeles is that Bryant, trying to play through a torn ligament in his right wrist, gets the numbing injection before every game. At a time when most players would be considering surgical options, or sitting out three or four weeks to heal that vital part of the shooting hand, Bryant has somehow made the adjustments in his delivery and follow-through - and he had a streak of three straight 40-plus scoring games last week.

Two seasons ago, Bryant played through the pain and discomfort of an avulsion fracture in his right index finger - again the shooting hand. He did it for six months. The finger is now arthritic and deformed, but Bryant made that sacrifice to make sure he didn't miss a game. This summer, faced with the prospect of his troublesome right knee and left ankle being irreparable in the short term, he went to Germany for innovative procedures that have erased (at least for now) those ailments.

So much for the medical community. Kobe's defiance extends well beyond that. Still incensed over past playoff losses to the Phoenix Suns, and the fact that Steve Nashwon a couple of MVP awards, Bryant took apart the Suns on Tuesday night with 48 points, saying later, "Not bad for the seventh-best player in the league." (That's how he ranked in ESPN's preseason poll of 91 experts.)

Next up was Raja Bell, another adversary of the past, in Utah. The two of them raged at each other all night, and after scoring 40 points, Kobe told reporters, "He can't stop me. He knows that."

All the while, people continue to question his shot selection and his number of shots per game. Check out some of his responses:

-- "Yeah, and I also have five rings."

-- "Look, I've played 15 years. I've won world championships. And people still want to talk about this stupid-ass stuff?"

-- "Get over it. I shoot the ball, that's what I do. I'm a shooting guard. Some nights I have 30 shots. Get over it."

-- "There's another level I feel like I can get to. What I think about is shutting down these mother- who say I'm done."

Around the NBA

There is no defiance in LeBron James' approach to the big moments, and that's fine; he's not built along the same emotional lines as Bryant. But James and the Miami Heat need to work on their killer instinct - and fundamentals - in the fourth quarter. After three quarters of mind-blowing highlights in the open floor, this team freezes up in a crucial half-court set. It's either LeBron or Dwyane Wade in isolation and everyone else just standing around; no semblance of backdoor cuts, off-the-ball screens or even a pass. You'd think they'd have it figured out by now ... No doubt in Chris Bosh's mind about who should take the big shot. He told GQ it has to be Wade, "because of what he's done. He's a champ. That's the time you have to put pride aside and do what's best for the team." ...

Indiana's Danny Grangerthrew down a wicked dunk over Ed Davis on Friday night, then stood over the fallen Toronto player to make sure he knew who was responsible. Nothing wrong with that - except in DavidStern's NBA, where you're expected to be a good little boy. Granger was hit with a technical, his second, and had to leave the court ... Jerry Sloantold SI.com that he's "re-energized" and would consider returning to an NBA head-coaching job, at age 69, if the circumstances were right ... Dwight Howardstill has no idea where his free-throw shot is going (if it hits the rim and you're in the third row, heads-up), but as the Warriors discovered, he has developed a tremendous low-post weapon in that running right-handed hook ...

Just as relevant as Miami's discouraging loss at Denver on Friday night: The Nuggets are one of the most exciting, free-wheeling teams in the league with Ty Lawson, Danilo Gallinariand Rudy Fernandezon the floor. They certainly don't miss J.R. Smithor Kenyon Martin, a couple of knuckleheads stuck in China ...

Apparently homesick for L.A., and lamenting that he forced the trade himself, Lamar Odomhas been worthless in Dallas so far. "I'm not prepared, I guess, to play," Odom told reporters after Wednesday night's game against Boston, and now he's headed to L.A. to face the Lakers on Monday night. Randy Galloway, the longtime Dallas columnist, calls Odom "our runaway No. 1 in the local jock kingdom when it comes to a sniveling, whining, self-pitying fool."